Fists and Hammers
by Lady Cravenheart
Summary: Relationship troubles are never fun. Neither is mourning for a wayward former-leader. / Nova and Otto have a chat over some hand-to-hand. (Sequel to Monkey As The Rest Of Us)


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**Fists and Hammers**

 _Lady Cravenheart_

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Nova holds her hands up, dodging nimbly as Otto throws a punch at her. "I just don't understand it," she says.

They're not in the training room. It's too bright or too dark for a nighttime spar—and too much room for the hand-to-hand style Nova and Otto favor. Especially when its for venting, like tonight. Though as per usual, they wait until after their first session is done before actually getting to business. So instead they've chosen Otto's room, since Nova's the one who wants to vent.

"Don't understand what?" Otto grunts, as she jabs at him in return. He blocks it easily, holding her wrist as he swiftly delivers a kick to her midsection.

The breath whooshes from her lungs as she skids a few feet back. When she regains her breath, she says, "Sprx." She dances on her toes and circles him.

Otto follows her movements. "What about 'im?"

Otto's room is surprisingly clean—except not really, when you consider how much time he spends in his workshop, instead of his bedroom. He's been known to fall asleep there, instead of his bed or his pod. Nova knows, because Nova is the one who drags him out of bed in the morning. Because she's the only one who wants to poke the bear that is Otto when he doesn't want to get out of bed. Which is never. Because he keeps later hours than Gibson. The difference is, no one but Nova seems to notice.

Nova lunges for him. He goes to sidestep, but Nova is ready for him. She twirls, catching him in the side with her elbow. It's his turn to slide back, gasping for air. "There are days he won't even lookat me," she says, and the anger that coats her tongue burns. "And he never wants to be alone with me."

Otto sucks in a breath at last, but doesn't come at her like she expects. "The Fire of Hate made him do some pretty awful things to you," he reminds her. "And it's not like he's talking to anyone about it."

Nova grimaces. "That's true." She slides back into a defensive position, arms held protectively in front of her torso. "But I can't help him if he just… avoidsme all the time."

"No," Otto agrees. "But I think he talked to Antauri last night. Try approachin' him. Take five?"

Nova nods. "I guess." The pair walk over to the cooler they keep in the corner, retrieving waters dripping with condensation and melted ice. "But what if he keeps ignoring me?" As soon as the words leave her mouth, she feels selfish. Sprx went through a traumatic ordeal. One he woke up from with all his memories intact. And she's whining because he can barely look at her, after what he almost did? Right.

Otto shrugs. "You wait. Not like there isn't enough stuff to do to keep ya busy. I can always use a hand in the shop, if you're up for it."

"Always," Nova says with a laugh. She pauses. "Thanks."

"Open invitation, remember?" Otto grins. "Punch it out, or hammer it out."

Nova laughs. The deal was struck when Mandarin was the leader, and it's held ever since. Otto and Nova don't deal with things like the others. They don't like to twist things up and make them complicated. It is or it isn't. But matters of the heart aren't simple. They're complicated by nature—and an outlet is needed. Who better to understand than someone who feels the same way about things as you do?

"Speaking of, you need anything you wanna get off your chest? While we're here." Normally when one of them wants to vent, they talk about it in the other's room or workspace, because that way the venter can get some space if they need it. But sometimes things differ, when they both need to vent. But Otto can escape to his workshop if he needs to, so that's something.

Otto's quiet for a moment—taking a long sip of his water before he talks. Touchy subject, then. Nova will need to tread carefully, lest she upset him. "It's almost the anniversary."

Nova almost asks What anniversary? before the answer comes to her. After that, she's glad she didn't. She really would have stuck her foot in it then. Instead she grimaces and says, "Snuck up on me this year."

"We've had other things to worry about," Otto says, brushing it off. "At least you didn't ask me what I was talking about."

Nova thanks Master Offay for her quick, think-on-your-feet mind. She and Otto are the only ones who bother to remember the day. The others have moved on, more or less. Mandarin is Skeleton King's now, in whatever form he possesses. No longer a comrade or friend, but an enemy. But Otto still mourns. Once upon a time, it was Mandarin who came to his workshop to wake him up in the mornings. Mandarin who kept him company while he worked. Otto may not have confided in Mandarin the way he did Nova, but they had still be close. Otto mourned, and Nova did her best be there for him, whatever he asked.

"You want me to be there with you, this year?" Nova asked. Otto usually got out Mandarin's old helmet, offered it a gear, and maybe even lit a candle. All done at nighttime, in the workshop or on the Robot's head. Probably his workshop, now, since there was no telling when an ally could come in. Sometimes he wanted company. Sometimes he didn't.

Otto takes another moment, drinking again as he considers her offer, or considers how to refuse, one. "No," he says after a moment. "Not this year. Let me know how your thing with Sprx, goes, though." He gives Nova a smile again, and Nova returns it.

"Of course."

Otto sets his water down. "Ready for another round?"

She smirks. "Always."

* * *

About their fight. I'm honestly not sure who won the first round, but you're welcome to tell me who you thought would win, either in the comments or on Tumblr (I'm ladycravenheart). Or if you're in the HyperServer Discord group, in which case I'm Livvly. :P

I hope you enjoyed!

And as for Chiro, and where he is… well, it's going to be another couple of monkey-focused installments before I get to talking about him. Sorry! :P


End file.
